Faced with his father's reproach, Chu Baxing did not put up much resistance, nor did he show any defiance.
In his heart, he had already calmly accepted the fact that aside from god-hunting ability, Qin Siyang surpassed him in several other important abilities.
Before meeting Qin Siyang, Chu Baxing had always believed that people of his generation were all like those spoiled brats from the military districts, arrogant and domineering, empty-headed, idiots who flaunted their ignorance at every turn.
And he himself stood above everyone else, a peerless prodigy, pure while the world was mired in filth.
Until he met Qin Siyang.
Someone who had hunted a large number of gods, whose god-hunting points ranked among the top in South Glory University's special admissions.
Someone who could make top professors like Li Tianming willing to engage in close academic exchanges with him, an emerging academic star.
Someone with no background at all, yet chosen by the Zhao family of the black market to be a director of the chamber of commerce, a rare genius.
Someone who moved among the major factions yet received recognition from all sides, a supernova of the safe zone.
Qin Siyang, this orphan who was born and raised on the edge of the safe zone, shocked Chu Baxing's heart again and again.
Only then did he realize that the so-called talent-packed military was nothing more than a group of frogs at the bottom of a well, born in rootless towers in the air.
And for the first time, he sorrowfully realized that he, this so-called crown prince of the military, was not the center of the world, not the only protagonist.
The spotlight that once shone on him, compared with the blazing brilliance of Qin Siyang, was like a firefly against the bright moon.
But Chu Baxing's resolute nature did not let him sink into dejection. Instead, it ignited an even stronger will to compete.
"Father, I understand everything you said. I already recognize the gap between me and Qin Siyang. But don't worry, I won't stop here. I will definitely keep improving. Just like before, when I surpassed others, I'll surpass him too and leave him behind."
Perhaps feeling gratified by his son's competitive spirit and his willingness to learn from the worthy, Chu Xiao'ang's tone clearly softened.
["It's a good thing that you haven't given up. It means all the effort I've poured into you hasn't been in vain."]
["As for surpassing Qin Siyang… I originally thought you were just too young, that you hadn't grown up yet and still had a bit of childishness. But recently I've been paying more attention to what's happening in the safe zone, and only then did I realize that the outstanding youths your age have all already taken on a mature air."]
["Even without mentioning that freakish demon star Qin Siyang, the others aren't bad either. Zhao Sifang stayed calm and proper at the ceremony, dignified and composed. Hu Chan turned the tide at the prayer gathering and showed dazzling cunning."]
["Even that grandson of Hua Chengliang from Huacheng, Hua Weicai, whom your old man here killed, wasn't some simple-minded fool."]
Chu Baxing froze for a moment.
It was one thing for his father to say he was inferior to Qin Siyang, but he even dragged Zhao Sifang and Hu Chan into it. What he found hardest to swallow was that between the lines, it sounded like even Hua Weicai, whose head had already been chopped off, was a cut above him.
"Father, I can let the others go, but Hua Weicai, that clown who's already in the ground, is he really worth bringing up?"
["A clown?"], Chu Xiao'ang said calmly, ["Why do you think he was a clown? Just because he's already dead?"]
"No. His death was only the result. I think he didn't know his place. He spoke provocatively at the Zhao Chamber of Commerce ceremony, and even when his grandfather Hua Chengliang signaled him to step down and shut up, he still went his own way. That was stupidity at its extreme."
["Step down? Do you think everyone can be like you, getting all of your old man's care and affection, advancing and retreating freely in all kinds of situations?"], Chu Xiao'ang chuckled softly, ["Hua Chengliang had seven or eight children, and even more grandchildren. In a big family like that, everyone has to strain every nerve just to fight for a chance to stand out."]
["The fact that Hua Weicai was brought by Hua Chengliang to attend the Zhao Chamber of Commerce ceremony already meant he was destined to be used as a gun. A qualified gun must be able to fire bullets in the correct direction when it's used."]
["Hua Weicai had no chance to make mistakes."]
["When we last surrounded and killed the Thunder Snow Wolf, the Third Sequence Brigade commander Sun Guangrong, as the overall commander, failed to adjust the strategy according to the situation and did not withdraw the Nineteenth Sequence Regiment in time, resulting in a hundred extra casualties. Although this mistake wasn't critical, I've already removed him from the list of candidates for sequence division commander."]
["You should know that whether the hunt for the Thunder Snow Wolf succeeded or not wouldn't seriously damage our legion. Even so, Sun Guangrong only had one chance to make a mistake. The occasion Hua Weicai faced was far more severe than Sun Guangrong's."]
["After discussions among the three major chambers of commerce, money and manpower were put up, with the Lotus Cloud Chamber of Commerce taking the lead. Lotus Cloud handed this task to Hua Chengliang. Because it was inconvenient for Hua Chengliang to personally confront a junior, he chose the more promising younger generation, Hua Weicai, to take on the main role."]
["Behind Hua Weicai was not just his grandfather Hua Chengliang, but also the trust of the Lotus Cloud Chamber of Commerce and the interests of the three major chambers of commerce."]
["If this gun misfired in such a crucial battle, do you think Hua Chengliang would still use him in the future? Forget using him. His status in the Hua family might not even be as good as that of cats and dogs."]
["So Hua Weicai chose to go all out. Even when Hua Chengliang told him to step down, he still had to charge forward. Because he knew that if he succeeded, even if he offended Hua Chengliang, he could still be noticed by the Lotus Cloud Chamber of Commerce or the three major chambers of commerce, and wouldn't be completely cut off. But retreating… heh, that would be an endless abyss!"]
["Now, do you still think he was a clown?"]
Listening to Chu Xiao'ang's admonishment, Chu Baxing finally realized what kind of predicament Hua Weicai had been facing at the time.
"Father, you're right. I really was thinking too simply."
["You're not entirely wrong either. A person only has value if they're alive. Your old man here has countless souls under his command, and quite a few could be called heroes, but their names have long since faded from people's hearts."]
["Living is always the most important thing."]
On the other end of the phone, Chu Xiao'ang sighed again, ["I originally thought that life in the legion was broad enough, enough for you to grow. Only after seeing the young talents in the safe zone recently did I realize, a bit too late, that because your mother passed away early, I paid you too much attention and protected you too well."]
["A golden canary in a cage, no matter how cheerfully it sings or how beautiful it looks, when it competes with sparrows and crows outside for food, it can't escape the end of starving to death."]
["Now that I look at it, sending you to South Glory to study really was a good thing."]
["Baxing, if this were a time of peace, you'd only need to be my son and you'd sail through life smoothly, safe for a lifetime. But now, the apocalypse has only descended for ten years. Humanity still can't slay large gods, and the safe zone is far from stable. Your old man has struggled for half a lifetime and can only leave you a respectable high platform. Do you understand?"]
Chu Baxing nodded solemnly, "Father, rest assured. I'll keep pushing forward."
["That's all I wanted to say. Also, in the future, say less and learn more when you're around Qin Siyang. With the methods he has now, he's at least qualified to be your teacher for a year or two."]
"I understand."
["Old Zheng, do you have anything else? If not, I'm hanging up."]
Zheng Mubian frowned slightly, "I have some regrets. I regret telling Qin Siyang twice just now that the Zhao family couldn't possibly have a method for ordinary people to awaken sequence abilities."
"Isn't it normal to have Qin Siyang help throw a smokescreen at the Zhao family? What's wrong?"
"It feels like I'm trying too hard to cover it up."
["You mean…"]
"Commander, he wouldn't be that meticulous, right?"
["Uh… probably, not to that extent?"]
The two of them immediately fell silent.
Off to the side, Chu Baxing looked completely puzzled, unable to understand what the two of them were talking about.
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